San Francisco Innovation Chief Departs City Hall

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Florence Simon, the former McKinsey consultant hired by San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie to lead the city's Office of Innovation, is departing City Hall. Simon's departure comes after the office recently received a $7 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to expand its work on streamlining processes around issues like food access, police hiring, and homeless service delivery.

Why it matters

Simon's exit marks the second major personnel change in Lurie's administration this week, following the announced departure of the head of the city's homelessness agency. The vacancies will allow Lurie to make new appointments in two of his priority policy areas as he seeks to modernize city operations and address key challenges.

The details

Simon was hired last spring to run the Office of Innovation, which is tasked with modernizing city technology and expediting progress on the mayor's priorities. Under her leadership, the office overhauled San Francisco's permit system, launching an online portal last month. However, the Lurie administration faced scrutiny last year over a $5.9 million contract awarded to OpenGov, a San Francisco firm with ties to a nonprofit founded by the mayor.

• Florence Simon was hired to lead the Office of Innovation last spring.
• The office launched a new online permit portal last month.
• The Board of Supervisors approved a $7 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to fund and expand the Office of Innovation through December 2028.

What’s next

The mayor's office will need to appoint a new leader for the Office of Innovation, as well as a new head for the city's homelessness agency, as Lurie seeks to continue modernizing city operations and addressing key policy priorities.